AN INVESTIGATION into the death of a yachtswoman who fell into The Solent near Cowes has been launched.

Emergency services on the Isle of Wight were contacted at 2.58pm today (Saturday) after a woman, aged 43, was pulled from the sea unconscious by a Cowes Harbour Commission launch.

She was taken to Trinity Landing, where she was met by emergency services.

A defibrillator borrowed from the Royal London Yacht Club was used to carry out CPR on the woman, but despite resuscitation attempts, the woman was eventually pronounced dead, police confirmed.

The woman is believed to have been sailing a small boat at the time and fell overboard just off Cowes, where chilly sea temperatures would have put her at risk of hypothermia.

Police say her next of kin have been informed of the tragedy.

"We are working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Marine Accident Investigation Bureau to establish the exact circumstances of what happened," a police spokesman said.

Cowes RNLI had been called out to the incident at 1.45pm, but were almost immediately stood down after learning the launch had transferred the woman to Trinity Landing.